Fate of Jason Corbett’s widow and father-in-law now lies in hands of jury

The Jason Corbett murder trial is now awaiting a decision from the jury for the fate of Molly Martens Corbett and Thomas Martens to be decided.

The trial of Limerick man Jason Corbett has come to an end after defense and prosecution made their closing statements in a final plea to sway the jury.

Now the fates of Corbett’s widow, Molly Martens Corbett, and father-in-law, former FBI agent Thomas Martens, lie in the hands of a jury of nine women and three men who will decide whether the pair should be convicted of second-degree murder.

Alternatively, they may acquit them or conclude the Martens are guilty of voluntary manslaughter, the difference between which is that the former requires an individual to have acted with malice.

Thomas Martens claims self-defence of daughter, Molly Martens Corbett

Martens admits to striking his son-in-law with a baseball bat but says it was self-defense after he walked in on him throttling his daughter.

Prosecutors have countered by painting a picture of a man who loathed his son-in-law and a wife who stood to inherit close to a million dollars worth of property and life insurance claims in the event of his death. Corbett’s failure to follow through on a promise to let his wife adopt his children and his possible return to Ireland was also portrayed as a further reason for their actions.

Karen Capps took the stand for the prosecution and said when she took the pair’s 911 call neither seemed out of breath - despite having claimed to have given Corbett two rounds of CPR.

Neither did they have blood on their hands, even though Corbett’s chest had been bloodied during the struggle.

Closing for the prosecution, Assistant District Attorney Greg Brown told the jury, “We will never know whether Jason Corbett tried to cry out, whether he begged for his life or whether he thought of his children.

“Jason can’t speak to you but his blood speaks the truth and cries out for justice.”